The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-09-23


Every thing on the street was as silent
as the grave. My window curtain was
up. and could see that the sky had
thickened up and was very black. I did
not wait for the noise to be repeated.
Twas Just as sure that some one was
in the store as though had already
seen him. and l crept softly out of bed.
drew on my trousers and moved out
into the big room, having the revolver
in my hand. There was no door at tie
head of the stairs. l intended to g,
there and listen down the stairway. A,
was moving across the room, which
was then pretty clear of goods as far as
the trap-door, l suddenly recollccted
this opening and changed my course to
reach it. 1t was terribly dark in the
room, and one unfamiliar with the
place would not have dared to move a
foot. Halfway to the trap got down
on my hands and knees, and as !
reached the opening, l settled down on
my stomach. There was a dim light
| downstairs. That settled the fact that
some one was in the store. After a
minute / heard whispers, then the
movement of feet, then certain sound,
| which located the intruders to a foot.
They were at the safe in the front Of
the store. drew myself forward and
! looked down the opening. / could sec
| lighted candle and two or three dark
hn 60 I fl,a
combination being worked. My first
thought was to drop my hand down
| and open fire in their direction, but l
remembered that we had so many
articles hanging up that no bullet had
any chance of reaching the safe. l was
wondering what to do when l heard
one of the men whisper:
"It's all blamed nonsense. We might
work here week and not nit it.
''But l told You to bring the tools
and You would not
"Oh, dry up" protested another.
what We want to do is to 60 up and
bring that counter-hopper down and
make him open the box"
"I'll give the cussed thing few
more trials" said the first man, and l
heard him working away again. My
eyes could not have told me the num-
Der of robbers. but my ears had.
There were three of them, and they
were no doubt desperate and deter
mined men. They spoke of bringing me
down and opening the safe as if no re-
sistance was anticipated or taken into
account Indeed. they might well rea-
son that they had me at their mercy.
The rain was now falling, the night
was very dark. and pistol shot could
not be heard in either of the dwellings.
If they had reflected that ! might be
armed they would have offset it with
the fact that l was boy of eighteen.
with a girls face and probably a girl s
nerve
don't deny that was bit ratified.
and that my lip would culver in spite
of me. but was at the same time fully
determined. To get at the fellows was
what bothered me. but that trouble was
soon solved. There" whispered the
man at the combination, as he let go
of it, 81 won't fool here another min
ute. That kid knows the combination,
and we can make him work it,. Come
on They were coming upstairs. The
best place for me would be right at the
head of the stairway. The stairs had
half turn in them, and l would fire
upon the frs: man who came within
range. l heard the men coming back
to the stairway and my nerve gave
way. X was not from cowardice. but
the knowledge that l was to Kill Il hui
man being upset me. decided to re-
treat to my room, and if they persisted
in coming that far would shoot. The
trio had rubbers on their feet. but they
came upstairs without trying very hard
to prevent making a noise. The one
who came first had the candle. and as
he got to the head of the stairs | saw
knife in his other hand. They made
no delay in approaching my room. and
with great effort braced myself fo.
what l saw must happen. They could
not see ME until within three or four
feet of the door, and their first intima-
ton that l was out of bed was when
they heard me call out: Stop, or I'll
shoot"
had them covered with the weapon,
and for fifteen seconds there was Il dead
silence. Then they got plan. The
man with the candle dashed it on the
floor, and as supposed they meant to
rush in on me in the dark. but | check
mated it by opening fire. They then
either meant To retreat downstairs or
toward the rear floor, for l saw the
three together moving off and fired At
their dim figures. Three seconds later
there was great shout OF borrow. fol-
lowed by the tremendous report Of the
double-barreled spring gun. and then
there was absolute silence. think l
stood in the door shaking like leaf
for fully three minutes before the si-
lcnce was broken bya groan. Then it
came to me that the robbers had fallen
through the open door upon the cord
leading to the gun. struck match.
lighted my own candle. and. going to
the opening l saw three bodies lying
below. Running back to the bedroom
TO rechargs my revolver. l then Went
down stairs to investigate. 1t was rs l
suspected. The three had pitched
down together. The top of ones head
had been blown off by the shot. a Sec
ond had hole in his chest as big as
your fist, while the third, who was re-
! sponsible for the groans. was severely